


Wings of redemption

by Ladyphantom5965



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 20:27:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17669507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyphantom5965/pseuds/Ladyphantom5965





	1. Chapter 1

I would say I hate heights, but unfortunately I hadn’t much choice in the matter, I am what you call a mutant, I have recently moved to New York and so far, improvements could be made, very quickly. Coming from England, there aren’t many mutants there, and considering my parents weren’t overly keen on having a freak as a daughter, I didn’t find it hard to decide on what to do, luckily my mutation has its advantages, I have two very big wings that I can retract back into my body like cats and there claws, when I was younger, my parents use to think I might have been some fallen angel sent to protect them or some crap like that, it wasn’t until they started looking up other mutants across the world that they suddenly realised that their daughter wasn’t an angel, more like a demon, I was quickly dismissed by my family and friends and soon I was out on the streets, for some odd reason I was somewhat gifted with many mutation, they peeked out every now and again and for the moment, my power of invisibility seemed to serve me well, I was able to pinch food and money for when I needed it, I didn’t necessarily want to steal, but people were not likely to hire immigrants, let alone mutants.  
Since being in New York, I had managed to find a small flat that was out of the way and rioters and mutant haters, it was small and deserted, I think a mutant use to live here but they must have been chased out, when I first found the flat there was still a hot mug of tea on the table, since then no one had gone anywhere near the flat, thinking it was cursed or tarnished by  the mutant, it wasn’t fancy or anything, just my basics and hot running water, anything else might draw the attention of others. I normally go out at night than I do daytime just so people don’t notice me as much, I’ve learned to really love my wings and the beauty of the world without all the shops and petrol fumes, every so often I fly over this huge mansion out in the country side far away from the city, I love old fashioned buildings and over old stuff, and the feeling of gliding across it seems to bring me some sort of joy, but it seems every time I fly over it, I can almost hear someone talking in my head, not just me talking to myself, but it`s like someone talking to me, its sounds like a man, I can`t normally hear exactly what he is saying, but it almost sounds like he wants me to come to the mansion, it gets very distracting sometimes and often I lose focus flying, I was so unfocused once I nearly flew right into a building without knowing it, since then I tend to avoid flying to close to the mansion, but I find it really hard to forget the voice, it feels like it is constantly with me all the time, even during the day when I`m out walking around with all the normal people, it feels like he almost walking next to me, is scaring but close to comforting to.  
It’s a Saturday night and I had been sat up on a block of flats for a couple of hours now with some Chinese takeout, I had some spare money from earlier today so I thought I would splash out a bit tonight, I was just about finished and decided I needed to walk this Chinese off, I flew down to an empty alley, chucked my empty food boxes in the bin and folded my wings back in, I poked my head out of the alley way and saw that the streets were bustling with tourist and drunk teens, perfect place to do some pickpocketing, I was having a look around when I saw a guy across the road standing outside of a nightclub, he looked almost cute, but gullible all the same, I looked both ways before I crossed the road and stood about 4 feet away from him just so I could size him up, his shoulder cut hair was tidy and well kept, he looked at me and smiled for a moment, it was a nice smile, he looked well out of place here, I`m surprised people were mugging him left, right and centre, I returned the smile before he started walking past me, he had nice clothes on, a casual brown blazer and a matching waistcoat, dark brown trousers and well-polished shoes, I started to walk slowly behind, not to close but just enough to work my way up, after a while he walked into a coffee shop and sat by the door, he didn`t get anything so I went and bought a hot drink and sat at the back watching him. It had almost been an hour now and he hadn’t moved an inch, he just sat there, staring into space, I was about to give up on him when I suddenly heard something in my head, it was the voice again, but this time I could hear him loud and clear, like he was sat next to me,  
`Your very persistent sat there, anyone else would have given in already and found someone else to steal from` I glanced around to see who said that, the place was pretty much empty other than me, him and a couple who were far too busy with themselves, I looked at him again and saw that he was now looking straight at me, I quickly avoided his gaze and started to play with my empty cup,  
`there`s nothing to be worried about, I am just like you, gifted, misheard by everyone else, disregarded by human society` he was talking to me, but his lips weren’t moving, like a telepathic, but I was still a bit shocked to find someone else like me,  
`There are far more of us than you think, there is a safe place of refuge for people like us, a school for the gifted, were mutants live in peace, you will have a place to stay and I will help you control your powers` this was getting freakier by the second, maybe I was tired and now I was daydreaming all this, I looked at the clock and saw that it was nearly half ten, I`ve not been out this late in so long, for once I wanted to go home and sleep all of this of so I stood up and put my rubbish in the bin, as I went to leave, I walked past him and we locked eyes for a moment,  
`We have a medical facility at the school, we can get your wing fixed there, I promise you there is nothing to worry about` now that stopped me dead in my tracks just before I left the coffee shop, how the hell did he know about my wing, I looked at him wide eyed and he looked back at me, as I began to move away he stood up and moved towards me, for a moment I lost myself and his voice was still in my head , I tried to force it out but it hurt to do so, he winced as well as I tried to force him out of my head, as he reached for me I got my focus back and ran down the street, I could hear his footsteps coming after me, there was now a dull ache in my head from me trying to block him,  
`Rachael wait, stop! `oh great now he knows me name, terrific, I quickly darted down and alley and made and effort to fly away, I hurt my wing recently and I must of fractured it slightly so it hurt to fly, but this was an emergency, I opened them up and stretched them as much as I could, but the pain was hot and throbbing, the pain was causing my chest to tighten and that was causing me more misery, but I had to try, I was about to try and lift up when I suddenly started to levitate in the air, it wasn’t my wings flapping, but I could move my arm, I was going to try and flap my wings when the guy from the coffee shop appeared in front of me, this time someone else was with him , he was a tall skinny bloke with  short black hair, he was holding up his hand in front of him, he must be the reason why I can`t move, I was getting angry and uncomfortable now so I struggled as much as I could,  
`Put me down and leave me alone` the coffee guy held his hands defensively and came closer, I tried to kick him but I couldn’t reach him,  
`Rachael please listen a moment, we can help you, trust me we are not going to hurt you, let`s just talk for a moment`  
`God alright I’ll talk, just put me down already` he spoke to his friend without looking at him,  
`Erik put her down please` his friend dropped his hand and soon I was back on the ground, my wings felt heavy and sore and I couldn’t find the strength to pull them back in, I didn’t have the energy to shout at the guy as he moved closer to me,  
`Don’t worry ill help you put your wings away, okay? ` I don’t see how he could, but I nodded my head anyway, he reached out his hand towards me and I flinched a little as his hands touched my head,  
`Nothing to worry about, it will only take a moment` I could feel him inside my head, pulling the wings back into me, I sighed in relief now that they were back in inside, but he didn’t remove his hands from me, he looked at me sincerely and I looked at him puzzled,  
`I`m sorry, I apologise in advance` I panicked and grabbed his wrists,  
`Wait! `But it was too late, I collapsed in to his arms and the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

I was surrounded by voices, I don’t think I was dreaming, I would be able to move more if I was, I tried to move a little but my body was so numb, I strained a little to even move my hand, I was a little startled when I felt a hand touch mine, my eyes shot open, and there he was, coffee guy, I glared forcefully at him, that only made him smile,  
`you`d better hope I stay this way for a long time` I took in a glance of the room, it looked like a perfectly nice hospital ward, but this did not feel like a perfectly nice hospital wards, I once nearly passed out in a hospital and since then they have freaked me out and I tend to avoid them, like situation like this one,  
`How are you feeling Rachel? `Still wasn`t happy with the fact that he knew my name, but the latter was none existent at the moment,  
`Terrific, I could run laps` for a kidnaper he was awfully cheerful,  
`I apologise for what happened earlier, you were unlikely to come with us and you were in significant pain, I give you my word you are safe here` I can`t be asked to argue about the whole telepathic thing, I haven’t the energy or anger anymore, I sighed in resign,  
`Who are you? , and where am I? ` I did plan on calling him coffee guy all the time, I knew the other guy was called Erik, but he wasn’t here,  
`My name is Professor Charles Xavier, I am the founder of this school for mutants, I can understand that you’re uneasy here, but your wing is fixed and everything else is fine, but I can`t keep you here against your will, once your wing is fully healed, you`ll be free to go` I`m basically a prisoner here then aren’t I,  
`No, you are anything but a prisoner here, you have free roam on the school and the grounds, but I want to know that you are safe, I realise you’ve been on your own for so long and have become extremely independent, but your safety comes first` he sounds like a caring father, didn’t think they still existed, I`ve met a lot of liars and cons in my so far short life time, but he wasn’t one of them, he`s certainly not on the top 10 list,  
`Fine, I`ll stay till I`m healed` he gripped my hand excitedly and his smile grew, calm down sunshine,  
`Sorry, I`m just happy with your decision to stay, I think on average it will take about a month for your wing to heal` I nearly jumped out of the bed in shock, but he held my arms in comfort before I fell off,  
`A month! , it’s a fractured wing, not a broken leg, why a month`  
`Please Rachel calm down, the more you fight it, the longer you will take to heal` I readied to throw some choice words at him when someone else entered the room, we both turned around to see who it was, it was a tall guy with glasses and short black hair, he wore a lab coat of some sort so I was guessing he worked in this ward, I felt the urge to spread my wings, but they were bound to me with bandages, and I couldn’t find the energy to break free from them, or Charles,  
`Hank quickly help me` this Hank went to a nearby table and picked up a full syringe, my heart nearly burst out of my chest when I saw it, I gripped Charles hard with panic, I`m petrified of needles, the amount of test I had when I was younger have scared my physically and mentally, I hoped Charles could hear this, Hank came closer and I almost leapt out of the bed,  
`Please no! ` Charles eyes sprung open, he got the message  
`Hank wait, hold on a moment` I sighed in relief as I let him roll up both my sleeves, I was disgusted to even look at them, they were covered in scars and needle punctures, the bruises had long faded, but they created lifelong scars, I sobbed hard for the first time in years, Charles motioned for Hank to put the needle down and then pulled me in a strong embrace, I was still sobbing and my breathing was terrible, tears were practically pouring from my eyes, he was hushing me and rubbing small circles in my back, after a while I started to calm down, he let me go and I sat back exhausted. Hank gave me the quick once over and then left the room,  
`You will have your own room here and will have total freedom while you heal, I`m also offering to help you with your gift, or gifts in your case, afterwards you can either stay here or you can go back to your old life, it`s up to you` I gave him a funny look ` old life ` ?,  
`I`ll have you know sunshine, my old life was stable and has kept me alive, and also, if you even think about sticking me in a math lesson, there are going to be serious problems` I tried really hard to be serious but he just started laughing at me, I must have been drugged up or something cause I ended up laughing with him, this was going to be a weird month here.


	3. Chapter 3

His overall cheerful attitude wasn’t the most enticing thing ever, but my situation could have been a whole lot worse, after a couple of hours I was strong enough to get out of bed, he gave me some comfy clothes and we headed up stairs to the main part of the school, I`ve never been in a house this big, it was old fashioned but warming too, it was the end of the school day and the kids were running around the house, the funny thing was that none of them looked like mutants, they all just looked normal, but then so do I, and Charles. the first thing that we did was we went to go and find me a room, there were so many floors to this place, it was more like and block of flats than a school, a few kids ran passed us and I watched them run around, they looked so happy, they were almost glowing with happiness and delight, all because of someone who cared about them, I zoned out for a second before I heard the Professor calling me, I quickly followed after him and saw him holding a door open, I stopped for a moment and we locked eyes,  
`And this is your room Rachel` I quickly joined him and had a look inside the room, it was defiantly spacious, there was a single bed, a wardrobe and dresser, it was pretty basic, but it was more than what I was used too, not the same mattress on a dirty wooden floor, I went over to the window and looked outside, even the world seemed brighter here, there was just endless fields and trees stretching out, people were sat on the grass in groups and teens playing football, it felt like a dream, it didn’t feel real, Charles joined me at the window,  
`This place is a safe haven for the gifted, away from the rest of the world` it certainly seemed like it, I sat down near the window and looked at him,  
`I was watching those children who ran past us on the stairs` he looked at me with such kind eyes,  
` I remember when I was younger and I used to look in the mirror at their age, never did I once look as happy as they did, not even close, it’s a bit scary you know, almost fake, this all looks, fake` he pulled up a chair and sat down next to me,  
`People are afraid of what they don’t understand, no matter how much we evolve, there will always be someone who doesn’t understand and then that person will convince somebody else, and then it just turns into a mindless game of Chinese whispers, the longer it gets, the more distorted it becomes, at that’s what we are, the victims of evolution, and it scars more people than others`  
`And some people are more stronger than others, they don’t see themselves as the victim, but just incredibly gifted individuals` I was about to reply when starving stomach made itself known, it sounded like a growling dog, the professor was taken back for a moment, then it hit him,  
`I`m sorry I`m going on, you must be starved, will go down to the kitchen and get you something` he made for the door but I didn’t move, I just watched him,  
`Thank you and I`m sorry` he looked at me confused, he came back to me as I stood up,  
`What are you sorry for? `  
`Surely you can see why, I`m a burden, I always have been and I always will, I`ve been forced to be independent all my life, any sort of compassion or love I have learnt to block it out, because it has always masked the real truth behind people` he brought his hand to my cheek, I looked deep into his eyes and searched for any hint of lies or deceit,  
`This place isn’t just for teaching, it’s for learning as well, and you don’t have to go back to being so independent, your still so young, there`s still a chance for happiness here`  
`Is there, well I think that will be one of my lessons then, the search for happiness` and with that he grabbed my hand and left the room together.

When we got to the kitchen downstairs, I was by then really hungry, and my stomach kept making weird noises, which made the professor look twice as hard for food for me, I began to look with him and soon found some vegetables and a tin of chopped tomatoes, then an idea popped into my head,  
`Professor? ` He turned round to me as I put the vegetables on the kitchen worktop,  
`Please Rachel, call me Charles`  
`Okay, Charles, do you have any herbs in the cupboard, and any tomato puree? ` he quickly went back to looking in the cupboards, sure enough there was a unopened tube of tomato puree paste, and he also managed to find some herbs covered in dust, I put all the ingredients together and thought for a moment,  
`Ah, I have it` I looked at the professor and he just looked at me with his mouth open, he was just staring at me,  
`What? , what are you gawping at? ` he scarpered for a moment then produced a small hand mirror from a drawer and held it in front of me, but I didn’t see me there, just the back wall, I reached out to grab the mirror and there was nothing, I suddenly realised what my other gift was, but obviously he wasn’t aware of this, maybe I could use this to my advantage,  
`Rachel? , Rachel are you there? ` I didn’t reply, he then took his fingers to his head and closed his eyes, I expected to hear his voice, but there was nothing, not a sound, was I actually blocking him out of my head, he then opened his eyes and lowered his hand, I went to move away when someone came into the kitchen, I looked round and saw it was the guy from the other night, Erik I think his name is,  
`Charles, who are you talking to? ` I moved out of the way as he moved closer to me, I saw that the door was open, but if I moved to quickly they would know about it, I will just have to wait for them to make their move,  
`Erik its Rachel, she has completely disappeared and I can`t reach her` Erik almost laughed at what he said,  
`Charles, you have the most incredible mind in the world, and you can`t find a girl a few feet away from you, now that’s disappointing`  
`Thank you for your contribution Erik, but this is very important, Hank found something odd in her blood results and I`m determined for her to remain here out of harm’s way` that lying swine, I blindly out of anger picked up a tomato and threw it at Charles, but he managed to grab it before it hit him and in a split second Erik lifted his hand in the air and my arm went into the air too, along with  the rest of me, I was once again suspended in the air, I didn’t bother to struggle, I simply hung there, I considered my options, and decided to go back to being visible,  
`What happened to your arm by chance? ` this time Erik spoke, he and Charles eyes were very much the same, which made me even less inclined to trust him, Charles once again brought his fingers to his head but didn’t close his eyes this time, I knew exactly what he was doing, so I didn’t bother to reply, like I was going to,  
`Self-inflicted, a 6inch metal rod in the upper arm, self-harming` both men looked at me with sadness and anger, both men looked ready to flip out, Erik more so, I was a little bit worried about Erik`s anger, was he strong enough to cause real damage, the air felt tense and I started to squirm a little bit, Charles came up to Erik and rested a hand on his shoulder, the anger practically disappeared in an instant, I was then lowered back down to the floor and I held my arm tightly to me,  
`I`m sorry` Erik reached out to me but I retreated back, his hand froze for a moment, his hand open slightly as if grasping for something, he then closed it and left the room, Charles was looking at me but I didn’t dare return the look, I simply walked past him and started preparing some food, I felt him coming near me, but I just blanked him out,  
`Rachel I`m …`  
` As soon as I`m healed I`m gone, you hear me, I don’t belong here` I didn’t wait for a reply, I just carried on with what I was doing, he simply sighed and left the kitchen, I stopped for a moment and forced myself not to cry, I haven’t spoken to anyone ever about what happened, now I`m an open book to some guy, well that’s just great, because this so where I expected my life to head, I gripped my arm tightly for a moment, the heat of the rage stopped me from flooding everywhere, I released my arm and carried on with the prep.

It wasn’t until I was adding a few little things to the cooking pot did someone enter the kitchen, I quickly glanced to see it was Erik, I didn’t say anything and simply continued to stir the vegetables, he too didn’t say anything and simply just stood by the counter, I picked up the tube of tomato puree and squeezed a bit into the pot, then I grabbed the wooden spoon and stirred it in, Erik then came over to inspect what I was doing, I was just staring at the pot as he took a look at the contents, I don’t really cook much for myself, just some simple stuff like microwave meals and pot noodles, when I was younger, a boy I met taught me this really simple recipe, it was basically just some vegetables and chopped tomatoes, I can`t remember the name of it, but I remember the first time I ever tasted it, for a moment, it took all the pain away, it was like I was eating love on a spoon, ever since then I make it when I can, or when I`m seriously moody,  
`Smells nice` I didn’t reply, I just handed him a nearby teaspoon, he then reached in and scooped up a chunk of red pepper and a bit of sauce, I didn’t ask him how it was, I didn’t really need to, the noise he made from that mouthful was enough of a response, he chucked the spoon I the sink and knelt on the counter next to me, I could feel his eyes on me,  
`That’s really nice Rachel, it`s simply, but nice` can`t remember the last time I heard a compliment,  
`Thanks` I looked at him for a moment and pretty much saw myself in him, so much anger and rage, and nowhere for it to go,  
`Can I ask you a question? `  
`If you must `  
`What happened? `Of course that one was going to pop up, either from him or Charles, was just a matter of time,  
`Fine, when I was younger my parents thought I was special, in a good way, but when it came around that they saw me with, a default, they just wanted me to be a perfect child for them, no wings, no invisibility, nothing, so when they tried to force experiments on me, obviously I wasn’t too happy about it, but at such a young age, I couldn’t really do much about it, so after a few years of poking and prodding, I found a solution, it may not of been the right one at the time, but I didn’t have a lot of options` I paused to put some water on to boil for the pasta, obviously Erik was not leaving anytime soon,  
`I went out one night and walked into the local city, it was cold and wet out, my parents didn’t know where I was, it was busy out and I was pretty much in limbo, I wanted to just end it all that night, I saw a car coming, it was going pretty fast, I closed my eyes and…` I took a deep breath, he didn’t look at me, he knew what I was going to say,  
`I woke up in hospital a few days later, my arm was in a cast, but other than that, nothing was damaged, but I never saw my parents again, obviously in their eyes I was being to selfish in what I done, they didn’t take into consideration what they did, to them, they were just doing what they thought was the right thing to do` Erik brought some plates out as the pasta was cooking, he didn’t say anything, he was just silent,  
`And that’s what happened, in terms of that, as soon as I got out of hospital, I just, flew away, from them, from everyone, for the first time at that point in my life, I felt free, and I never looked back on it, I wasn’t being selfish, I was doing something for me` then we were both silent, I had just drained the pasta when Charles came into the kitchen,  
`There you are Erik, oh, I`m sorry, um` I looked at him then at Erik, then Erik spoke,  
`Sorry Charles, just been talking to Rachel, do you think there is enough there for him too Rachel? ` My eyes widened a little bit at the thought, Charles looked at me a little confused, then I think he got the idea,  
`Sure, why not` both Erik and Charles sat down as I plated up the food, I brought theirs over then mine and we all sat down to eat.

They were both quiet eating there food, my friend always said that if people don’t converse whilst they are eating food, then it is good food, I did taste nice, but I was no chef, but they both went for seconds, which says a lot really,  
`Rachel this is delicious, it really is, where did you learn to cook? ` I thought about telling him about the friend, but then I thought that would just bring up a whole load of question, but knowing him, he would just read my mind and find out anyway,  
`I just thought of it that’s all, and then here we are, the finished product` I wasn’t sure if Erik was going to bring up the thing about my arm, or maybe just tell Charles later, either way, it actually felt good telling someone about it, I think he is the first person I`ve ever told,  
` I`m sorry for snapping earlier, all this generosity and kindness is new to me, I`m just not use to it` they both seemed a bit shocked by what I said,  
`Rachel you don’t need to apologise all the time, it`s completely understandable, we didn’t exactly meet in the best way` it didn’t make me feel any better, I finished of my food just as they did, I went to pick up their plates but Charles beat me to it,  
`Nonsense, you cooked such a lovely meal, you definitely won`t be washing up` so I just sat there for a moment, I was really tired now, I haven’t eaten that much in a long time,  
`If you guys don’t mind, I`m going to have an early night` Erik remained at the table and Charles turned round to me, they both showed a gently smile as I left the kitchen,  
`Good night` the both said together as I closed the kitchen door, I could sense Charles itching to find out what I said to Erik, at this point, I couldn’t care less, he probably knew already, he was just being polite, it was getting dark out now and I was ready to have nice decent sleep. As I entered my room, it brought me a sense of peace and wellbeing for once, it wasn’t a common feeling for me, and it didn’t tend to last either, but I was going to make the most it for the time being, I had a look in the dressing cabinet and found some pyjamas, they felt nice and soft, I quickly got into them and got into bed, for once I felt safe here, but I don’t know for how long it would last, I wanted to leave so desperately, but at the same time, I wanted to stay in this dream like state, but this dream was turning more real but the moment, was I going to start my life again here, I couldn’t be certain, but for now, I was willing to let the dream live a little longer.


	4. Chapter 4

So much pushing and prodding, needles and tests and scans, why can`t I just be normal, what is normal? , are they normal?  
When I woke up it was still dark, I think that was the longest I`ve slept in a long time, but I was restless, I got up from my bed and looked out of the window, what I would give to just fly around for a while, without having to worried about what people think of me, could I really feel normal in this place? , I wasn’t sure, I came away from the window and decided to walk around this place, I opened the door and looked to see if anyone was around, I guessing everyone was in bed and fast asleep by now, I gently closed my door and went down the stairs to the main floor, I recognised where the kitchen was so I decided to have a look In the other rooms, most of them were teaching rooms like English and Maths, near the end of the corridor was a huge door, bigger than the rest, I gently opened the door so I didn’t disturb anyone, I then quickly slipped in and closed the door behind me, the curtains were closed and I couldn’t see a thing, I reached out for a light switch on the wall and soon found it, as the room illuminated with light, my mouth dropped in awe, I`ve never seen a library like this, the smell of the books and the wooden frames was intoxicating, I think the dream was now gone, and reality had now settled in.  
The setting was perfect, there was a roaring fire protected by a beautiful marble fireplace, I nice comfy chair positioned near the warmth of the flames, and a hard back copy of the Phantom of the Opera, perfect, time then seemed to melt away into early morning, I was half way through, when I started to hear birdsong from outside, I placed a book mark and went to open the curtains, the sun was just rising and I could see people exercising in the back yard, the thought was tempting, but the thought of not being able to use my full skills was depressing, but I needed the fresh air and I needed to keep up my physical, I decided to take the book with me and ask the Professor if I could borrow it for a while, but before I was about to leave the library, Charles came into the library, he held two cups of tea in his hands, I`m guessing he already knew I was in here,  
`Good morning Rachel`  
`Good morning Charles` he handed me of the mugs and I caught a whiff of earl grey with a hint of orange, it smelt lovely, I took a sip as I went to sit back down by the fireplace, Charles sat down opposite me, the fire reflected off his eyes with such power and passion, I was lost for a moment, must have been something in the tea,  
`I hope you don’t mind Rachel, but Erik told me about what you said yesterday, I`m glad that you told someone about what happened, It’s never good to hold onto things that hurt us` it did feel good to tell someone about what happened, but it didn’t help to fix what happened, maybe nothing ever would, but hey, what can you do,  
`I know, but there was nowhere for it to go, it held onto to me like a disease, and know I feel like I`ve started again but it just feels like a blank page, I think I just need to find my purpose now`  
`Well hopefully you can find it here, I know you don’t want to stay here for too long of a period, but whilst you’re here, If you need anything, then all you need to do is ask` I can`t remember the last time I asked for something, it`s always been take now and ask questions later, I`ve never been offered anything, nothing positive,  
`Now then some breakfast, and then if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to examine your wings more? `My options weren’t really open at the moment, and I wasn’t exactly full of energy to do much,  
`Sure thing` I finished my tea and took his empty mug, he looked a little dumbstruck so I left him too it and went to go and get ready.

It was definitely fresh out today, but there was more room out here for me to spread my wings out, both Erik and Hank joined Charles outside with me, I was bit nervous, it was like I was putting on a show or something,  
`Whenever your ready Rachel`  
`Openly at slowly as you can, it will take a while for them to heal properly, any sudden actions could affect the healing process` Hanks words made me feel ever more nervous,  
`Hank not another word please` that made me smile a little, I took a deep breath and felt my bones shifting around, as he said, I started to slowly unfold my wings, they were a little sore as I haven’t stretch them in a few days, I didn’t stretch them out fully, just enough for them to be out completely, Charles and Hank stepped forward whilst Erik watched in the back, whilst Hank went round the back of me, Charles went to one my wings,  
`May I? ` he reached out to them and I nodded in reply, his touch felt odd, but strangely warming, the last time someone touched them, they were touching them with multiple needs puncturing them, the scars were deep, but I had to carry on, like you do,  
`Amazing, the structure is phenomenal, 8ft in span, with the strength to lift a full grown person`  
`Charles, I know it may seem hard, but try to keep it in your pants` Charles gave Erik a funny look, it was amusing to watch,  
`Once again, thank you for your input Erik, greatly appreciated, but not necessary` I stopped smiling when I felt a bit of pain on my wing,  
`Okay, not there please` I felt a hand on my shoulder,  
`Sorry, sorry, Hank? ` Hank and Charles came back round to the front of me, Erik came in closer too,  
`Slight tear in the right wing muscle, there`s also a small fracture but that will heal over time, other than that, no other damages done` yeah, no physical damage maybe,  
`Rachel, when we are done here, please come meet me in the Library? ` I met Charles eyes as I heard his voice in my head,  
`Well then chaps let`s get back too it, thank you for you` r time Rachel` I pulled my wings back in as we all dispersed, but as Charles and Hank walked back inside, Erik stayed outside and sat on a nearby bench, I decided to join him of for a bit, as I sat down a funny thought crossed my mind that made me smile, he looked at me intrigued,  
`Penny for your thoughts`  
`I`m sorry, it was just now with you and the professor, you two just reminded me of an old married couple` just saying it made me laugh, he looked at me a bit strange like for a moment and then started to laugh too, after a moment we both stopped and looked out to the scenery, until he gently took my wrist in his hand then we both looked at each other,  
`I`m sorry about what happened, and if I hurt you in anyway, I didn’t mean too` both him and Charles have pretty much the same eyes, both kind and caring, but not enough to touch my cold dead heart, I think he could sense that too, I placed a hand on his in comfort,  
`That’s okay, I`m not the easiest person to handle by any stretch of the imagination` I wasn’t looking for anything, especially not this sort of thing, I just wanted out and back to the good old days, but I could still feel his pain, I don’t think I could live like this,  
`Sorry I`ll leave you to it` I rushed away before he could reply, I kept repeating in my head, don’t get attached, don’t bond, don’t get involved, I went back inside the house and back to the library to meet Charles, I knocked on the door to the library just in case someone else was in there,  
`Come in` I opened the door and closed it behind me,  
`You wanted to see me … Charles? ` Strangely there was no one else in the library but me, but who answered me, I walked more into the room,  
`Charles? , hello? ` still nothing, I went to leave the library when the talking in my head turned up the volume, I couldn’t hear anything else,  
` Hello Rachel, goodness look how you have grown` that voice wasn’t Charles, there was someone else in my head, and he had the volume up on maximum, I could see Charles entering the library, but I couldn’t hear a thing he was saying,  
` It`s been so long, how many years now, 12 years, and you’ve only grown more beautiful` Charles was trying to say something to me but I couldn’t hear a sound,  
`Listen sunshine, I don’t know who the hella you are, but feel free to close the door when you leave` I shouted out to no one in particular, Charles face was full of concern, but when went to touch his forehead, a loud high pitch sound filled my head, I could feel tears welling in my eyes cause of the pain,  
` Oh dear, it seems someone is trying to interrupt our conversation, no matter we shall meet soon my darling one, till then` finally the ringing stopped and I could hear again, my knees gave way and I could finally hear Charles talking to me, but my head was tender and sore,  
`Charles, much as I love to hear your voice, turn the volume down` the voice sounded so similar to his, but it wasn’t Charles who spoke to me a moment ago, it was someone else,  
`Rachel what happened? ` He helped me over to the chair by the fireplace and we both sat down,  
`There was someone else in my head, he sounded just like you, but obviously it wasn’t, but he told me that we`d met before, 12 years ago I think, back when I was with my parents, I can think of who it might be, after all those test I had, anything up to moving here to America is a blur` I tried to think  back to who it might be, but it hurt even more to think about it, I sighed heavily as I looked into the fireplace, this place must be unlucky for me, these issues just keep popping up one right after the other,  
`I`m guessing the voice told you to come into the library out of the way from everyone else`  
`Yeah, it worked for about 5 minutes, I`m guessing he wasn’t aware about you and your mind mingling ` despite what just happened, it still was enough for Charles to smile at my comment,  
`I`m glad your humour isn’t damaged`  
`Not yet` at that moment Hank came into the Library, he looked a little flustered,  
`Ah there you are, the results are ready now` he seemed a little impatience, and then Charles gained the same expression,  
`Brilliant news Hank, the results are back from your blood tests Rachel, I think it will be something you would very much like to see` I doubt he needed to read my mind to know that, he practically yanked me out of my chair as we ran out of the room with Hank following swiftly behind,  
`What did you put in your tea this morning? ` he ignored what I said as we raced of to find out what was so special about my blood.


	5. Chapter 5

I`d never run so quick in my life, mostly because Charles dragged me most of the way there, Hank was already in the lab when me and Charles got there, Hank hopped on to the computer and was tapping away like a mad thing and Charles and I quickly joined him, we both peeped over his shoulder to see what he was doing, it didn’t make much sense to me but he and Charles were muttering between each other about what was on the screen, I zoned out for a little when suddenly Charles burst into life, making me jump,  
`There it is! , I knew it` I looked at the screen and saw this kind of graph thing, I not really sure what they saw but it clearly got them excited,  
`What, what is it` they both looked at me as if I were crazy, they would know,  
`It`s simple, this shows what`s in your blood, and here, this major spike here is your iron levels`  
`Okay, so I have unusual iron levels, point being` Charles came within inches of me, he was like a child who had been given way too much sugar,  
`Exactly, your iron levels are 10 times the amount of any person, mutant or non-mutant, anyone else with this amount wouldn’t even by alive, the body wouldn’t cope with all this extra iron in there system, the cells wouldn’t be able to function, but your body somehow, has adapted to the extra iron inside you, how amazing is that` I looked at Hank and Charles, both were way to excited by this, I had to admit it did sound a little odd, especially the fact I had a lethal amount of iron in my body, but other than that I couldn’t really see the point in all this, I was more concerned about the voice in  my head from earlier, it sounded like we had met before, but I couldn’t think from when, or who it was, I never had this many issues before all this,  
`Terrific, anything else, any miracle wing healing properties in my blood there` I was more confused than anything, it just came out in anger, I looked at them both but they said nothing, I then pointed at the computer,  
`So what about this then, another thing to add to the list of `Rachel’s treasure chest of secrets` is that how you see it, you`re like a child both of you, you know what, do what you want with it, I don’t care anymore, stick more needles in me, carry out stupid tests, there`s no part left of me to be affected anymore` I wanted to cry, pour my eyes out, but my unwanted hate and anger wouldn’t allow it,  
`Rachel I`m sorry` I could feel Charles reaching out to my mind, that enraged me even more,  
`Don’t touch me!!` my voiced echoed throughout the lab, I felt my wings almost clawing at me, begging to be released, the urge was too much, I doubled over as they released themselves, I felt nothing, my anger numbed the pain of the force, I fell to my knees as they both came over to me, my chest was tight and I struggled to breath, nobody wants to be constantly angry, but then some people don’t have a choice, I was one of them, who else can say they were tortured and abused by their own parents for being different, a lot I reckon,  
`Rachel calm down, your wings are tense, you`ll do yourself more damage if you don’t calm down` I looked up at Charles, why was I blaming him, he didn’t do this to me, he didn’t give me my wings, he didn’t torture me, feed me constant anger and misery, he was the one person in my life who gave a damn, and what am I doing, shouting and blaming him, I`m turning into them, I relaxed as much as I could, trying not to pass out at the same time, I felt my wings fold back in, as soon as they did I sat down on the floor, I felt Hanks hands on my back, I was so drained from today, I just didn’t have the energy to stand, Charles breathed a sigh of relief, as did we all,  
`Well done Rachel` I gave a weak smile,  
`Your welcome` he smiled back, that stupid smile of his, I was then taken back a little as he scooped me up in his arms, I hooked an arm around his neck, I didn’t say nothing, I think that said more than enough words to him,  
`Thank you for doing that Hank, I think that’s enough for today` Hank didn’t reply, he simply smiled at us, I smiled back in response, and with that we left the lab, I felt bad for what had happened, I didn’t mean to get so angry, it just happens sometimes, I can control a few things, this just wasn’t one of them,  
`Don’t apologise Rachel, it`s my fault, the problem is you`re just far to amazing` I wasn’t expecting that,  
`What do you mean? ` This was an odd conversation, and also a very bad flirting attempt,  
`You`re very much like a book, the cover doesn’t hold a thing up to the content that’s inside, I can easily say that everyone here has come from the same story, they were born, their outer image showed a flawless perfect child, and then there real self-starts coming out, their parents don’t understand what they don’t know, they become delusional, they don’t see their child as their own, then at last they become blind to the beauty in front of them` for the first time since we met, he seemed really angry, I wasn’t sure what to say to him, I felt somewhat responsible for this,  
`Hey Einstein` we locked eyes again, but this time I felt so close to him, I could almost feel the heat radiating from his body, I felt his hold on me tighten a little, I struggled to continue my sentence with him just staring at me,  
`Try smiling more often you grumpy old man` I barely finished my sentence before his lips smashed into mine, it lasted only for a moment and when he drew back we stared wide eyed at each other, he started to fidget a little, for once he was lost for words, which was very unlike him, neither of us said a word to each other for a while, it wasn’t until we got to the main hallway did I finally speak to him,  
`I need to ask you something` he stopped mid step, he was surprised by my question,  
`Ask away` I wasn’t sure how to word this, or even what the results would be,  
`The voice in my head from earlier, he said that we had met before, but like I said before I can`t remember much before I came here to America, I don’t know how far your mind link goes, but even if It`s just a snippet of my childhood would be something to go on` he thought about it for a moment, then he quickly spun round and headed for the library, I looked to see if anyone was coming this way, all was clear and we entered the library, however when we entered the library, Erik was sat by the fireplace looking at us as we came in, something tells me he was waiting for us to come in, I was little bit nervous after what happened with me and Charles, but I certainly wasn’t going to mention it out loud, Erik went to go get another chair whilst Charles put me down in his, the warmth was comforting but not enough to settle my nerves, Charles sat down opposite me and Erik sat next to him, I took a deep shaky breath and tried to relax as much as I could,  
`Now I can`t guarantee this will help, but I will help you as much as I can, ready? `  
`Yeah, go for it` he touched his fingers up to his temples and I closed my eyes as memory`s began to flash in front of my eyes, first they were recent ones like our kiss and when we met in the coffee shop, then they started to go back further, colliding with a building whilst in mid-flight, hence the broken wing, finding my new flat in America after leaving home, and then it became blurry and hard to see,  
`Rachel, the results of the experiments have clouded your memory, there are some here that I just can`t get to, hold on` I waited for another one to become clearer but it took a while, but then I started to hear something, I didn’t recognise the voice, but I felt the memory coming back to me.


	6. Chapter 6

I barely felt the pinch of the needle in my arm, my arm was covered in holes made by the needle, I was so use to it now I didn’t care about the pain, I knew it was never going to stop, so why fight it, my parents were sat on the other side of the room, fake smiles painted on their faces, the thought of their only child being normal constantly being played like a vr tape in their heads, I didn’t pay attention to what the doctor was saying as he spoke to my parents, I only heard I could go and sit down in the waiting room, I hoped of the table and left the room, I pulled my sleeve down so people couldn’t stare at my arm bruised arm, lots of people walked past me but none of them looked at me, I`m guessing my parents had pretty much told lots of people about her special little girl, and about how I`d now become so famous in  the neighbourhood, when in reality, she acted like she didn’t even have a daughter, I was her niece or she was babysitting for a friend, that’s how it always was.  
I sat closer by the door so when they came I would be ready to leave quicker, the nurses gave me the occasional smile, but I didn’t see it as genuine, it was just the polite thing to do, nothing more, if they knew the true story of me I doubt they would even look at me, that’s all I was to everyone, a freak, I was messing around with my buttons on my cardigan when I saw a little boy sit down a few chairs away from me, he was my age, and I guessed he was also being tested and poked with cause he had his sleeves all the way down, they even covered his hands, his hair was so white I couldn’t really look at it for too long cause it was so shiny with the light making it brighter, he looked as miserable as me, which made me want to go and talk to him, he must have had the same thought cause he then started looking at me, he soon smiled at me and I smiled back, I`m not really sure what a real smile looked like, but I`m pretty sure it was real, and I had a feeling mine was too, soon enough he came over and sat in the seat next to me, I curled up a little as he looked at me, I`ve never spoken to a boy before and I was a little bit shy,  
`Hi I`m Arthur, what`s your name? ` I felt my cheeks blush which made us both giggle,  
`Hello Arthur, my name is Rachel` his eyes were so bright and cheerful, surely he can`t be like me,  
`Hi Rachel, I have wings too` how did he know that, I didn’t tell him, I haven’t told anyone, but I was far more excited at the fact that he had wings too, he`s like me, he`s special too,  
`How did you know I have wings? `  
 `Because I heard you say it, in your head, I can hear you speak even when you`re not talking out loud, shall we be friends` for the first time in my life I felt happy, I don’t have any friends except my teddy’s, but they aren’t like me, they don’t have wings or parents who punish them for being different,  
`Yeah, but secret friends` I half whispered the word friends so people couldn’t hear us, I can`t believe it, I have a friend.  
Suddenly Arthur became blurry and I couldn’t hear him, the memory was fading away, I tried to reach out for it but I lost it, all of a sudden I opened my eyes and I was once again in the library with Charles and Erik, what I just saw was overwhelming, I couldn’t speak,  
`I`m glad you remember me Rachel, it has been a long time` I shrieked at the voice I heard in my head, I was so surprised I nearly fell of my chair, Charles grabbed my hands,  
`What`s wrong Rachel? , what happened? ` I looked at them both, it was all so clear now,  
`It`s him, the voice in my head, it`s Arthur`


	7. Chapter 7

They both looked confused at what I said, but then I guess saying it myself, it didn’t feel familiar to me, but just that one name seemed to burst the flood banks of memories from so long ago, I couldn’t really remember much at the moment, hopefully more would come back to me soon,  
`When I was younger, I had lots of test done by my parents because they clearly thought there was something wrong with me, one time when I was waiting for us to leave, I was sat in the waiting room and a boy came in and sat down near me, I was shocked to learn that he was just like me, wings and everything, I can’t remember what happened later on, but I`m guessing it might have something to do with how I got away from my parents` I found a certain weight had been lifted of my shoulders, but how it got there I`m not sure, since I`ve been here a lot of things have popped up about me and my past, perhaps it might be easier if I left here and just went away somewhere else where they couldn’t find me, but then I wasn’t sure how they found me in the first place,  
`Well Erik, I think it`s time we have a look for this Arthur, I must admit your powers are rather unique but when your invisible I can`t reach your mind, that’s where the problem lies, he could be in that state and I won’t be able to find him at all, especially if he thinks we are on to him`  
`Oh I think he is definitely aware that we know about him now, so what now, wait till the more memories pop up` that sounded a lot more sarcastic then it should of done, they both shrugged their shoulders, obviously it was the right shade of sarcasm,  
`Right then, I`m of to go do some baking before boredom takes over, and I`ll give you a shout when they are ready` that was their ready, set, go, as I went to leave the library they stayed put and chatted about nonsense whilst I headed for the kitchen. One of the rarest moments of happiness was with my Nan, she didn’t care about me being different, she just called me her little angel, she used to bake all the time and I picked up a lot from her, one day when I was about 10, she gave me a little notebook with hummingbirds and flowers on it, and inside she wrote down her favourite recipes, shortbread and cakes and tarts, but unfortunately its back at the flat, not that I take it with me everywhere I go, but still, I could still remember a few of them without the book, her banana cake has never left my mind, it must be what gold taste like I use to think when I was younger, I may be changed a few things and added a bit more cinnamon to it, but it still had Nans touch to it, luckily for me the kitchen is well stocked here and scales are a must, she never needed scales half the time, but then she knew the recipes by heart, I had just popped the bananas in the microwave to get them more mushy when I heard the door open, but I was a little surprised to see that it wasn’t Erik or Charles, it wasn’t Hank either, in fact it was a little girl, no older than 10 she poked her head out from behind the door, I think she knew I was in here, because she wasn’t shy towards me, she was actually really chipper, I was completely distracted by her presents,  
`Hi` I simply said to her, her smile grew wider as I spoke to her, she then hoped over to see what I was doing, she couldn’t really see much due to her height, but I think she understood anyway,  
`Do you want to help me? ` she hesitated a moment before she nodded, so I went over to get a chair and placed it next to me, I helped her up and I got the bananas and placed them in a bowl, I didn’t need to tell her what to do, she got a fork from the draw and started to mash the bananas, she was either really shy or she just decided not to talk to me, which wasn’t such a bad thing, lacking in social skills myself, I think even I would struggle to talk to a child. I didn’t say much to her because I guessed she wasn’t going to reply at all, but whenever we did lock eyes, her face was full of joy, it seemed a bit unusual that she was on her own with me, I would of thought she would be playing with the others, but then what did I know about a normal child`s behaviour, but she seemed happy enough, with a touch of cinnamon and a last stir, we prepared to pour the mixture into the tin when someone else entered the kitchen, it was Charles, I held the bowl whilst the little girl scrapped the mixture out,  
`The spoons taken Charles, you`ll have to take the bowl instead` the little girl looked at Charles with a cheeky smile, he smiled back to her, I sat the little girl up on the work top whilst I put the cake in the oven, I put the timer on and then stood next to the little girl, she was a picture, another one like me, a book that’s bigger on the inside, she was happily licking the spoon whilst Charles set to work on the bowls leftovers,  
`Doesn’t she ever talk` he looked at me for a second,  
`I mean physically communicate to others` she didn’t seem to mind that I was talking about her, she was far to engrossed in the spoon,  
`She is able to, but she just chooses not to, her name is Anna, she was abandoned her a couple of months ago, unlike most parents of mutants, they wanted her to be safe, and they knew they couldn’t give her that safety` how different would I be if my parents were like that, would I be so tough and unsympathetic, I saw a bit of me in her, independent with a major sweet tooth, it didn’t take her to long to the lick the spoon clean, I wiped a bit of it of her nose, she gave me the biggest toothy grin I`d ever seen, after the way we are treated, a smile is as bright as a flower after a bitter winter, god I`m becoming as soft as a marshmallow here, she hoped down of the counter and ran off out of the kitchen, I stood by the oven and watched the cake rise and go brown,  
`She likes you Rachel, she said you remind her of her big sister` the thought made me confused, I`ve never been a role model for anyone, I`ve been so isolated for most of my life, can I really connect with a little girl like Anna, at least awkward conversations wouldn’t happen, it would just be long silences between us,  
` Why won`t she talk Charles, did something happen to her? ` I put on some oven mitts and took the cake out of the oven, I waited for him to reply before I checked if the cake was ready,  
`She may not seem it, but she is very shy, she is a bit like you I suppose, independent, extremely focused, but she talks to me often, given time she will probably talk to you to, maybe with some encouragement` this seemed like an invitation to stay here permanently, the way he said it was enough to push me back a step,  
`So In some way, you want me to raise her, is that it? ` He looked like he was going to agree, but he clearly felt it better not to,  
`In a way yes` oh how brave you are, for that I turned invisible for a moment, it was funny to watch him panic for a bit,  
`Rachel hang on I`m sorry, all I`m saying is that maybe interacting with Anna here would be beneficial for you` I moved away from the table and slowly walked behind him, I was really going to enjoy this, but before I went in for the attack, Anna came back into the kitchen, she looked around for a moment, maybe she was looking for me,  
`Anna my dear, maybe you can find Rachel` that’s right, use the child as a weapon, he knelt down to her level and her eyes instantly came upon me, I don’t know whether she was just looking in this general direction, but she surely couldn’t see me when I’m clearly invisible, she once again smiled and dashed towards me, she went around Charles and hugged my legs, Charles looked around confused,  
`Anna? , Anna where are you? ` I looked down at her and she was smiling up at me, was she now invisible too, I was puzzled, probably not half as much as Charles, I tried to stop her from doing so, but Anna reached out for Charles and grabbed hold of his jacket, he was a bit startled when he saw us both, he looked down at Anna then back at me,  
`Anna you saw Rachel didn’t you, even though I couldn’t? ` she hugged me tighter and nodded enthusiastically, there was no point in hiding now, I switched back and Anna let go of Charles, she then motioned for me to pick her up, I looked at Charles and he looked at me with delight, I bent down to her and I rested her on my hip, maybe this could work, for a while,  
`Anna, shall we show Rachel what you can do? ` she nodded and raised her hand out to a vase of flowers on the table, like magic the flowers began to lift out of the vase, the brightly coloured tulips and roses began to dance in the air, such calm and gentle swaying and swimming in the air, Anna then motioned for them to come closer to us, their stems then began to wrap around each other into a crown shape, then the water on the stems formed perfect dots on the heads of the flowers, you would think they were diamonds the way they shined, the now finished head gear rested in Anna`s little hand, she looked at me as if for confirmation on what she did, I was delighted to say the least,  
`Anna that was amazing, it`s so beautiful ` I don’t think I realised how happy I was, I certainly wasn’t use to it, she then placed the head gear on top of my head, I then looked over at Charles, he was already busy cutting into the cake, he had 3 plates out already for us,  
`What do you think Charles? ` He looked at me in the same old caring way as usual,  
`Anna my darling that is amazing! , I`m very proud of you` he had the look of a proud father when he spoke to Anna, I`d seen that look a few times before when I had seen children with their parents, my parents never looked at me that way before, so I don’t know how it, but it certainly made Anna happy, I set her down so she could go and get a piece of cake that Charles had cut up for her, she took it over to the table and sat down waiting for us to join her, no matter how happy I felt though, I just couldn’t shake this nagging feeling in me that something bad was going to happen, and this Arthur person was right in the middle of it.


	8. Chapter 8

It was so hot it felt like I was melting, I was surrounded by smoke and fire, I looked for a way out but the flames had me cornered, was this it, am I going to die here, maybe this was my reward for all my punishment, all my suffering, I closed my eyes to embrace the fire when I heard a massive bang, I opened my eyes and saw a shining figure a few feet away, all the flames had now vanished, and now suddenly so did the figure.  
I woke up in a heavy sweat, the room was dimly lit by the moonlight through the drawn curtains, my bed felt soaked through, I can’t remember the last time I had a dream like that, it felt so real, like the other day with the memory, maybe that’s what it was, I may regret remembering that one, I got up from my bed and went to go and take a shower, it felt nice and refreshing, it was still dark out but I knew I wasn’t going to go back to sleep now, I stripped my bed and took it downstairs to be washed, as I waited for my bed sheets to wash and dry, I sat down in the kitchen with a cup of tea, not that I drank any of it, I just sat there stirring it, it wasn’t until someone entered the kitchen did I finally stop,  
`Morning Rachel` I didn’t need to be physic to know it was Charles, he poured himself a cup of tea and sat down next to me,  
`Bad dream? ` I looked at him, slightly exhausted my this morning,  
`Pretty sure it was a memory, my skin still feels burnt from the fires, I haven’t had a dream like that in while, even if I went home I don’t think they will get any better` I didn’t like admitting defeat to anyone, but it all just kind of came out like a confession, my mug of tea had now gone cold, his hand came to rest on mine,  
`It will get better Rachel I promise you, your memories are fighting to come back and it will be a rough process, but it will be worth it in the end` do I really want to remember everything that happened, will it improve my quality of life, I stood up and went over to empty my cold tea, the times I thought about running away from here just kept coming back to me, but then so did that little girl Anna, if I left sooner rather than later then maybe I wouldn’t feel so bad, but her face would haunt me forever, the look of disappointment of yet another person leaving her, I don’t think my cold heart could cope with that, I turned round to face Charles,  
`I`m guessing you got most of that` he didn’t reply, but I knew he heard it all, when will I learn, I rinsed my mug out and left it to dry,  
`It`s true, you have always been a fighter`  
I was surprised by the return of the voice and I dropped my mug by accident, idiot,  
`What happened, are you okay? ` I don’t need this right now, I took a deep breath and turned round to face, he had already left his seat and was walking towards me, I bent down to pick up the broken mug, he came over to help me, I had almost forgotten to speak,  
`Yeah fine, just being my normal clumsy self` neither of us had notice the kitchen door open, It was only did I look up did I see Anna standing behind Charles, he looked at me and turned round to see her,  
`Anna my darling stay there a moment, I don’t want you to cut your feet` she backed away from Charles and went to sit at the table, we quickly finished clearing up the broken mug and then we both sat down at the table with Anna, she looked up at Charles smiling for a minute then she faced me, that little smile was enough to melt anyone,  
`Anna wants to know if you will go outside with her ? ` How could I say no to her, how could anyone,  
`Come one then sweetie lets go` she flew of that chair so quickly she nearly fell over,  
`Woah careful Anna, walk don’t run` she stopped dead in her tracks and reached for my hand, I gladly took it in mine and we headed out of the kitchen, I tried really hard to get Charles`s face out of my head, but he was like a mould, slightly annoying but it slowly starts to grow on you after sometime, as we entered outside I felt the warm wind brush against and the warm sun lick my skin, I breathed in deeply and felt myself relax for the first time in what seemed like forever, I saw Anna run towards a small patch of flowers and I slowly walked after her, I had taken my shoes of before I headed outside and I could feel the grass tickle my feet, and I thought, how much independency would I be losing if I stayed here with Anna, Charles and everyone else, what sort of reaction would I get if I used my wings here, would he simply push me more to stay here, would he use Anna as a weapon against me, the thought stop me from going to Anna, she hadn’t notice me not going to her she just carried on playing with the flowers, no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t imagine myself staying here and playing happy for the rest of my life, I just can’t break this hold on my old life, constantly on the move and only looking after myself, I hesitated for a moment before I started to stretch my wings out, I began to feel myself panicking and I was starting to feel tense and fidgety, thankfully my wing no longer felt painful and I was able to spread them out to their full length, I felt slightly calmer until Anna turned round and looked at me, she was holding something in her hand, she held it close to her and began walking towards me, I started to panic again, I couldn’t cope with what was going on, before she came any closer I bent down and jumped high, my wings had now fully healed and I was able to hover above the ground, she stopped and stared at me and my wings, this wasn’t fair on her, I`m not the person she needs or deserves, she deserves someone better than me,  
`Rachel! ` I turned round to see Charles running towards us, Anna didn’t move,  
`You know what I want you to remember something Charles, if Anna gets upset and turns on others, I want you remember that this is your fault, forcing hopes on a child and playing god with these kids, who the hell do you think you are! ` my raise in voice caused Anna to run to Charles in fright, she held on to his leg, her face full of fear, this was me causing her fear, not Charles,  
` Rachel calm your mind, your right it wasn’t fair for me to do this to you, I understand that`  
`Really, I don’t think you do, you dig into people’s minds and you think you can peer pressure them into doing what you think it`s best for them, I`m sorry to disappoint you` Erik had now joined Charles, but he didn’t look surprised about what was going on, Erik then picked up Anna and she buried her face in his shoulder, I didn’t know the extent of his power, but I knew I couldn’t stick around to find out,  
`Erik take Anna inside please` he hesitated for a moment before he took Anna back inside the mansion, it was now just me and him,  
`It was wrong for me to keep you here Rachel, I only wanted to keep you safe and let you heal, and I hope you will believe me when I say that I mean it, just promise me something` the mood had changed, he wasn’t against me going, he wasn’t trying to stop me,  
`Stay safe, and also remember that there will always be a place for you here` maybe in the future, but just not now, there are still questions that need to be answered, and I won`t find them here,  
`Thank you professor` he smiled and nodded, and with that I flew high and headed back towards the city, I hadn’t flew this high for so long it felt wonderful, I stayed visible because for that moment I just didn’t care if someone spotted me, I once again felt free.  
I was coming up towards the city when I felt someone watching me, I was still flying high just below the clouds, I looked around and there was nothing, no birds, no planes, everything was quiet, until I looked down and saw the a pair of inky black wings a few feet below me, they were a bit bigger than mine, the sight of them was mesmerising,  
`I was beginning to wonder if he would ever let you go, but I knew he couldn’t keep you there forever, you’ve always been a strong willed woman, a man such as him could never keep you chained up` it was the voice again, but I knew this time where it was coming from, he quickened his pace and levelled with me, he then hovered in front of me and turned round to face me, I couldn’t help but stare at him, his dirty blonde hair stood out against his black wings, he appeared a good foot taller than me, he didn’t look like someone who had been tortured and tested throughout his childhood, he looked like a strong stable human being,  
`I`m happy to finally meet you again Rachel, how long has been now, 10 years since we meet in the waiting room, I must confess, I tried to imagine how you would look after all this time, I`m sad to say that even my mind couldn’t come close to your beauty` hurl, he must of lost his crown a few miles back,  
`How long have you been working on that speech, Arthur I`m guessing` he smiled and reached his hand out towards me, I just couldn’t cut a break,  
`Come with me, I will explain everything to you`  
`What if I don’t want to know everything` his eyes soften  
`Peace of mind, I won`t lie to you Rachel, it will be painful and uncomfortable, but all will become clear, and I will be with you every step of the way` will my life be better if I know, perhaps I do need to know everything, I took his hand and we flew off towards the city, his hold was reassuring, it felt like Charles was with me, it felt like I was holding his hand, maybe he could be it, my Charles.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been a cold night and when I opened my eyes and looked out at the balcony, I could see that the park nearby had a thin layer of snow , it seemed though the chill in the air helped me to sleep better, it had been almost 2 weeks now and other than the first couple of days I`ve slept like a baby, so far everything about this new chapter in my life was going well so far, the only thing that bothered at the moment was the fact that Arthur had not so much as hinted toward telling me any information about what happened in the past, it only bothered me when I really thought about it, he was normally up early in the mornings so I enjoyed the peacefulness of it all, I also enjoy when he brings me breakfast in bed,  
`Good morning, how did you sleep? ` He sat on the side of the bed as I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, in front of me was a steaming bowl of porridge with chopped bananas and a side of honey, accompanied by a glass of mango juice,  
`Really good, I can`t remember the last time I slept this well, must be something in the pillows` as much as he charmed me, I couldn’t help but think of Charles, I must admit I thought about him most nights,  
`Something popped up this morning and I have to leave for a while, there`s food in the cupboards so you don’t have to go out in the cold` the cold actually felt pretty tempting but the warmth of the bed sheets won that battle,  
`Okay no worries` he got up and kissed me on my forehead, he held there for a moment and I breathed in his scent and warmth,  
`I promise we shall talk about it when I come back okay? ` I`ve heard that one more than once,  
`Okay, stay safe` he kissed me again and left the bedroom, I sighed as I leant against the bed board, the situation felt so drawn out, I really did wonder if it was worth going back to the school, I hated thinking about Anna, I felt like I had left some of my heart with her and that I wanted to go back and share the rest of it with her, but then I also felt like I was forced into it all, like Charles expected me to be her mother figure without question. At 2 weeks I don’t think I can judge Arthur too much yet, yeah he might be a little light on the info, but I feel so relaxed here and safe, I wanted it to last a little bit longer, because I knew once I started figuring out my past, the pain would really start to show through.

I really miss Rachel, I didn’t want her to leave in the first place, but the professor told me that it wasn’t right for him to keep her here, but now that she is gone, I want her back here. I don’t have many friends here so I spent most of my time in the library reading, I noticed Rachel use to come in here a lot so therefore I thought if she ever came back she would go here first, most of the others were outside playing in the snow, I knew no one would want to play with me so I sat by the fire reading my book, I went to grab a snack from the kitchen as the professor entered the hallway,  
`Oh Anna, why are you indoors? , it`s snowing outside, don’t you want to go and play in the snow` I shook my head and held my book close to me, I pointed towards the kitchen, het got down onto one knee so he was level with me,  
`Oh you`re hungry, I tell you what, why don’t we have something to eat and then both of us will go outside for a while, that sound like a plan? ` At least he will play with me, I nodded as we both went into the kitchen and I sat up at the table as he had a look around the fridge,  
`Have you heard from Rachel? ` He closed the fridge as he took out a plate of cold beef, he placed it on the counter and grabbed some slices of bread,  
`I`m afraid not, I know it feels like forever since she left, but I`m sure she will contact soon` he didn’t sound sure, but I didn’t want to pester him, he brought over two sandwiches, one for me and one for him, it may have been a cold sandwich but it was filling none the less,  
`I miss her to Anna, I know how you feel, but she has been on her own for so long, having to change the way she lives her life is more challenging than it sounds` I was thinking about her when doctor McCoy came into the kitchen, he looked really excited and worried all at once,  
`Hank it`s everything alright? ` He didn’t come into the room, he simply waited by the door,  
`Charles, you need to see this now` he got up from his and chair and headed out of the kitchen, I went to follow when he turned round to me,  
`Wait here Anna I`ll be back in a moment` I waited till he left the room and I slowly followed, I opened the kitchen door and saw them both get in the elevator, we weren’t allowed to go down there so I went back into the kitchen and thought about Rachel.

Hank seemed very excited about something, we went straight into the lab and up on the screen was an image of Rachel’s cells, Hank sat down at his computer whilst I stood behind him,  
`What is it Hank? `He started typing into his computer and the cells began to move frantically on the screen,  
` It`s Rachel, you need to bring her back here now Charles, watch her cells` my eyes were glued to the screen as some of her cells started to change dramatically, within seconds they had all change,  
`Hank what`s going on with her cells? ` Hank sighed and scratched his head immensely,  
`It`s not just the increase in iron in her body Charles, there seems to be something in her cells that can cause them to mutate and become more primal, like a wild animal` a wild animal that was now in the city,  
`Do you know what causes them to change like that? ` Hank was typing away as I thought about where Rachel could be, he was now certain he needed her to come back, he knew this would be a problem,  
` A intense sense of rage and anger would cause this primal change to occur, if she lost it completely, she might remain in her primal form permanently Charles` if she finds out what really happened to her parents, it might tip her over the edge, the consequences could be fatal,  
`Quick Hank, I have to use Cerebro to find her, otherwise the whole of New York will be in danger`.


End file.
